The greatest fear for banks in the changing landscape of financial services is to lose grasp of the customer relationship and become utility commodity providers, or "dumb pipes". This fear is strengthen by changes in consumer behavior and expectations, regulatory changes such as PSD2, new business models and new technology. Artificial intelligence is one of the technological paradigms that is set to transform financial services in the years to come. How will banks stay relevant in a perfect storm of changes affecting nearly every aspect of the industry? According to Accenture, banks must become an indispensable Everyday Bank to meet changes in consumer behavior and expectations.

Four out of four online travel luminaries, in one sampling, agree: Voice search is the future of online travel. Google is billing its new Google Assistant as a smarter, more useful competitor against Apple's Siri voice-control feature. For now the service is available only on Google's new Pixel line of phones and its Allo app, which combines Assistant functionality with SMS messaging tools (but not, strangely, Google's Hangouts chat or video features). When it comes to travel, however, Google Assistant is not yet the perfect voice-controlled travel assistant. It doesn't offer booking capability, unlike travel agency chat hybrids like Lola, and isn't enabled to inform you of your travel itinerary.

Yes, artificial technology is rapidly improving -- and true, AI will invade the legal business before you know it -- but futuristic AI-infused robot lawyers aren't going to replace legal pros anytime soon. AI-based tools and technologies created and customized for legal work are coming for sure, though. AI-enabled software can use pattern recognition and extreme machine learning algorithms to help legal pros work faster. Their capability digest vast amounts of information and interpret it can help you work smarter, too. The time to start thinking about the first wave of AI legal tools is now.

Siri--and all her artificially intelligent peers--are increasingly taking on more tasks for people at home and at work. But as impressive as these digital assistants can be, they're still very much in their infancy. "I don't think anyone has nailed the user experience yet," warns Jason Cornwell, who leads the team at Google tasked with designing exactly that. Still, the biggest players in artificial intelligence (A.I.) agree on some important design lessons. Cornwell shared a stage with execs from Slack, Facebook, and Microsoft on Thursday at Fast Company's Innovation Festival in New York City.

Google just launched Google Home, a voice-activated speaker, powered by the tech giant's virtual Google Assistant that's also featured in their new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The speaker aims to bring the power of Google's numerous services--like offering weather updates and converting measurements, among other tasks--into a stylish and easy-to-use package. At a quick glance, Google Home is a direct rival to the popular, Alexa-powered Amazon Echo speaker. Google has priced the newcomer attractively at $130, revealing that it has serious intentions about this rapidly growing product category. Google Home features a high-quality speaker with three audio drivers, sophisticated far-field microphones, and intuitive touch controls. The removable base of the speaker is available with a fabric or metal finish in a number of attractive colors.

The Echo Dot is an absolute steal with these bundles. We've scoured the web to find you the best deals on good products. All you'll have to do is say the magic word. You can dim your kitchen lights if you're feeling dramatic, set your bedroom temperature to a balmy 70 degrees, switch on your sprinkler system to keep those pesky kids off your lawn, and more with Amazon's digital assistant. If you're looking to branch into the smart home world, grab one of the new 2nd Gen. Echo Dots today.

It's about time we put a face to the name of Alexa. Amazon's popular personal assistant, whose compatibility with a wide range of services and smart home products has made her one popular artificial (intelligence) lady. She is heard by plenty of folks around the world, but has yet to really be seen (because let's be honest, the Amazon Echo hardly counts as a believable body for her). But now, smartwatch brand Omate has introduced a rather adorable robot that just might be the physical manifestation of Alexa we've been waiting for. Meet the new Alexa-enabled robot Yumi, effectively a wheeled Android tablet that you can control with your voice.

On this week's Gadget Lab Podcast, we discuss voice assistants. They're talking back, too--products like Google Home and Amazon Echo can answer questions, give us helpful information, and tell stupid jokes. But the way we bark commands at our voice-controlled tech and treat the devices like lowly machines … is that making us ruder? Should we design the computers to talk to us more like humans in order to encourage empathy, or should we keep them cold and machine-like so we don't get unhealthily attached? Is this even a problem?

The term brings to mind robots, time-travel, science fiction, and other descriptions only fit for the far-reaching future. However, marketing experts are seeing that the future is now. Artificial intelligence (AI) marketing is playing, and will continue to play, a much more significant role in the way brands market to their customers. By 2017, AI marketing is projected to be the dominant force in the marketing industry. Using this technology will allow marketers to manage campaigns and know audiences through a more data-driven and more uniquely personal level than ever before.

For new owners of Google's $130 smart speaker, it could be quite a surprise. The AI assistant has a strange flaw - and it could drive owners mad. Every time a Verizon ad for Google's Pixel phone is played, it wakes up the speaker - and asks it to recite a list of restaurants. The device is programmed to respond to'Hey Google' The Verizon ad shows people on a train using the phone's smart assistant, the same one found in the Home speaker, to ask for Korean restaurants in Boulder. As the advert plays, the speaker begins reciting a list of restaurants. Google's $130 Home speaker is its entry in the monumental battle between tech giants.